SidW
Lifetime Member
Posts: 1,107
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Post by SidW on Sept 17, 2008 16:14:49 GMT -5
Brac, I agree completely
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Post by nikonbob on Sept 18, 2008 6:30:39 GMT -5
I think along the same lines as brac, Gene and Sid as far as film goes. There will come a time for me in the not too distant future when finding film and getting it processed will become too difficult, time consuming and expensive to bother with for use on a regular basis. Film only groups don't seem to realize/admit that just because you can jump through all sorts of hoops to find and use film that it is not effectively dead as a general use medium for capturing images. It does not have to disappear completely to become dead.
Bob
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Sept 18, 2008 9:12:39 GMT -5
Well said, Bob
Wayne
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Post by vintageslrs on Sept 18, 2008 15:35:58 GMT -5
So, is the conclusion that all my film cameras are now just curios and will only sit on the their shelves, the same as hummels. How sad......  Bob long live Snapfish! |
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Post by nikonbob on Sept 18, 2008 16:06:44 GMT -5
So, is the conclusion that all my film cameras are now just curios and will only sit on the their shelves, the same as hummels. How sad...... Bob long live Snapfish! Not at all, it will just be harder and more expensive to use them in the future. At some given point along the the increasing expense, harder to find trail people stop using it in favour of digital. I am as sure that film is dead under the conditions I mentioned in a previous post as I am sure you will be able to get it in the foreseeable future and use those fine old film cameras to you hearts content. Bob |
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Post by aceroadholder on Sept 18, 2008 18:56:29 GMT -5
I think film will reach it's stable level in 5 years. There are a lot of film users around like me who shoot a roll every 2 or 3 weeks with cameras that cost less than the sales tax on the newest DSLR.. and whose images are just as good as a DSLR (I know the newest DSLR's have lots of bells and whistles.. but nothing you can't live without).
I can do my on B&W and can wait a week for good color film developing. Things are no worse than they were 50 years ago.
It should be noted that cassette tape production has stabilized to meet it's niche market of audio books (you might have to look to find a tape player.. but of course you get one a new Lexus automobile). Vinyl LP record sales have gone UP in the last two years.. the local independent music store has changed its sign to "CD's and LP records." Fountain pens and bottled ink are as close as the nearest Office Depot... no printer can match a letter written with your Mont Blanc pen. You can still make a good living shoeing horses and building buggies... and the whips that go with them!
Orlin in SCUSA
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Andrew
Lifetime Member
Posts: 243
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Post by Andrew on Sept 19, 2008 19:09:04 GMT -5
Daguerre and Matthew Brady and William Notman and many others were, I am sure, heartbroken at the demise of wet plate photography. They were sure that they would lose all control over their photographs and that photography was taking a giant step toward it own destruction. Is there not a parallel between that and today's digital v/s film drama? Mickey i'm playing catch up a bit as i have been busy over the past couple of weeks but its interesting you mention the wet plate colodion Mickey. just lately i have become very interested in it..stemming from my trying to chase down film recently(whole plate size and a couple of others) for some (one in particular) veiw/field camera i have that were designed for dry plate but easy to place a sheet of something to fill in the thickness and then use film. one thing led to another and i started to consider if i could use wet plate in them, which I discoved i could but i dont think i will in this particular camera, because it will cause black stains on it which i dont want to do to it because its in remarkably nice and original condition (royal ruby thornton pickard), almost like its hardly been used. anyway as i say one thing led to another and i found more particularly in america wet plate colodion (and tintypes ect) is becoming very popular, there are few places over there that provide tutorial workshops and all the materials/chemicals needed...if i was in america i would be using it without hesitation. i have been trying to see if i can get hold of the required chemicals here although it seems the yanks are somewhat more liberal with letting people have access to ether, cloraform and cyanide and such. i would even consider building my own large format wet plate camera if and when i can manage to get the chemicals and tests prove to be good in small format. fasinating process and not too difficult i feel with amazing results. |
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Andrew
Lifetime Member
Posts: 243
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Post by Andrew on Sept 19, 2008 19:18:41 GMT -5
y'all have me worried with this talk on film on it way out!!!
years back i sold off all my expensive darkroom equipment when digital came to be and thought it was going to leave film behind and worthless, which proved to be a mistake on my part.
lately i have been struggling in a tiny darkroom and are now planning to build a nice spacious darkroom with all the nice bits. i have hopfully two new enlargers arriving sometime soon, one of them originaly cost in the order of $16000 so i am told but i am getting it for free in a manner of speaking (auto focus and such i beleive it is). now you have me woried my timing is again all wrong and i am wasting my time and money...
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Post by nikonbob on Sept 19, 2008 20:52:31 GMT -5
Andrew
Your timing is all right in that at the time you got rid of your darkroom equipment you likely got some money for it. You are likely getting darkroom equipment given to you now at literally no cost and it is better than what you sold off, just guessing here. Digital has left film behind and worthless from that POV. Perversely this is all to your benefit if you want to keep using film which can still be had even if it is dead as a mass market consumer item and into the foreseeable future. Hope you enjoy your darkroom when you get it setup.
Bob
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Post by bcomber2 on Sept 19, 2008 22:53:02 GMT -5
Wasn't the 'Mission Statement' of this board something similar to "Remember, film is forever" O.K. Where has it gone and why? Is it time for a revised version 'Remember, film is forever, we hope ' Someone's faith has been shaken here. Reality is beginning to bite for some too, it seems. Is this Board still relevant?
What digital cameras are going to be the new classics? My Camedia 2020 is good because it can take nIR shots with a filter has a whopping 2.1Mp sensor but 'takes good photos'. But then so can the M8..... Digital cameras have their specs all over the place. IR filters were built in after the experience of Camedias etc now, somehow in the world's most expensive (for body and accessories) digital camera, the inbuilt filter has been omitted again.
Some people say they are returning to film. I hope to never leave film. I do have a collection of film cameras that some would call classics. The main characteristic of some of these cameras is the high quality lenses they come with. Be a waste if they weren't used but then they depend on film which seems to be a diminishing resource - a bit like oil, cash etc..
Getting a film developed isn't an issue for me. Sad to see some people are going to have to put their film cameras on the shelf or sell them due to lack of support .
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Post by cyclops on Sept 20, 2008 4:45:23 GMT -5
Well i had my first film processed in a long time yesterday(Jessops) and was shocked at the results! They were scanned to CD but even then they look overly grainy with dust spots etc. And even tho the film was their own brand(actually Konica rebranded) i've always used them with no problem-well not this bad anyway!
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Post by Just Plain Curt on Sept 20, 2008 5:53:15 GMT -5
Hopefully we're still relevant as I get a kick out of coming here every day, viewing photos and lurking if not posting. Won't run out of film anytime soon as I still have a bit over 800 rolls in the freezer and 100 + thawed out. As long as I can get my film developed I'll avoid my digital for all but grab style snapshots. Nice to see some of our newer members posting. Keep up the great work.
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Post by John Parry on Sept 20, 2008 7:53:33 GMT -5
Hi Larry
Yes, I had a couple done at Jessops last summer, and wasn't impressed at all - don't think they get their machines serviced as regularly as Asda. You can forgive the occasional cockup, (I recently got a CD from Asda where all the pictures were upside down - doesn't make any difference if you're printing them, but it's surprising how much quality you lose when you invert them in any photo software), but if the negatives are poor, then you've lost that film forever.
Regards - John
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Post by olroy2044 on Sept 20, 2008 11:32:54 GMT -5
Spoke with a district photo manager at Wal Mart the other day. I know this guy personally and trust him to give me the straight skinny. He said that the phase-out of film sales and processing at W/M is in fact going on, but that it is on a store by store basis. If a store is being replaced by a newer and bigger store (ie Super Center), the instore processing will be discontinued. The same is true of major re-models, if they need the space for other things. In existing stores, the decision will be made based on volume. If the store does an average of ten rolls per day in house (reviewed at yearly intervals) the labs will be maintained, fully staffed and operating. Every effort will be made to maintain high standards so that film users receive good quality results. There are no plans to discontinue the two-day sendout service. The reason they give is the increased cost of recovering and recycling of the chemicals due to ever-tightening environmental controls of the disposal of used chemicals. Since I use a local W/M for my processing, I have made a point to become personally acquainted with the personnel, even to the point of cleaning up several old cameras for them, and showing them how to use them. Granted that we are addicted to a technology that is gradually being supplanted, if we want to continue to use it, it might be useful to cultivate these sorts of relationships. Also, I have made several converts to film by doing so. This is the reason that I can still get my 110 processed locally. When the equipment was replaced, the staff kept the 110 masks so they could coninue to do it in house. Roy
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casualcollector
Lifetime Member
In Search of "R" Serial Soligors
Posts: 619
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Post by casualcollector on Sept 20, 2008 17:12:01 GMT -5
Wow! Good going, Roy. I was on good terms with the Claremont, New Hampshire Wally World for several years. The staff was fairly stable and aimed to please. Here in Sebastian, Florida that's not the case. Things went from good to bad in the course of a year. New personnel now so maybe that's changed but the local Walgreens is doing a good job.
I went to the nearest pro photo dealer last weekend to get some black and white developer and fixer. Had to look for it but at least they still had it. Hoping to start developing my own again in the next few weeks. I see that as the future of film photography for me.
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